PostgreSQL Basics Cheat Sheet

1. Connecting to PostgreSQL

Start PostgreSQL Service

sudo systemctl start postgresql

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Access PostgreSQL Shell

psql -U postgres

• -U – Specifies the user (default is postgres)
• Exit psql:

\q

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Connect to a Database

\c database_name

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2. Database Management

List All Databases

\l

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Create a Database

CREATE DATABASE my_database;

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Delete a Database

DROP DATABASE my_database;

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Rename a Database

ALTER DATABASE old_name RENAME TO new_name;

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3. User Management

List All Users

\du

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Create a User

CREATE USER my_user WITH PASSWORD 'password123';

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Grant All Privileges to a User

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE my_database TO my_user;

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Delete a User

DROP USER my_user;

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4. Table Management

List Tables

\dt

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Create a Table

CREATE TABLE employees (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    name VARCHAR(100),
    position VARCHAR(50),
    salary DECIMAL(10, 2),
    hire_date DATE
);

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Delete a Table

DROP TABLE employees;

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Add a Column

ALTER TABLE employees ADD email VARCHAR(100);

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Delete a Column

ALTER TABLE employees DROP COLUMN email;

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Rename a Table

ALTER TABLE employees RENAME TO staff;

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Truncate (Empty) a Table

TRUNCATE TABLE employees;

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5. Inserting Data

Insert a Single Row

INSERT INTO employees (name, position, salary, hire_date)
VALUES ('Alice', 'Manager', 75000, '2023-01-15');

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Insert Multiple Rows

INSERT INTO employees (name, position, salary, hire_date) VALUES
('Bob', 'Developer', 60000, '2023-02-20'),
('Carol', 'Analyst', 58000, '2023-03-05');

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6. Querying Data

Select All Data

SELECT * FROM employees;

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Select Specific Columns

SELECT name, salary FROM employees;

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Filter Data with WHERE Clause

SELECT * FROM employees WHERE salary > 60000;

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Pattern Matching (LIKE)

SELECT * FROM employees WHERE name LIKE 'A%';

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Sort Results (ORDER BY)

SELECT * FROM employees ORDER BY salary DESC;

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Limit Results

SELECT * FROM employees LIMIT 5;

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Pagination (LIMIT + OFFSET)

SELECT * FROM employees LIMIT 5 OFFSET 10;

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Distinct Values

SELECT DISTINCT position FROM employees;

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7. Updating Data

Update Specific Rows

UPDATE employees
SET salary = 80000
WHERE name = 'Alice';

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Update Multiple Rows

UPDATE employees
SET position = 'Senior Developer'
WHERE position = 'Developer';

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8. Deleting Data

Delete Specific Rows

DELETE FROM employees WHERE name = 'Bob';

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Delete All Rows

DELETE FROM employees;

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9. Aggregation and Grouping

Aggregate Functions

SELECT COUNT(*) FROM employees;         -- Count
SELECT AVG(salary) FROM employees;      -- Average
SELECT MAX(salary) FROM employees;      -- Maximum
SELECT MIN(salary) FROM employees;      -- Minimum
SELECT SUM(salary) FROM employees;      -- Sum

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Group Data

SELECT position, COUNT(*) FROM employees GROUP BY position;

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Filter Grouped Data (HAVING)

SELECT position, AVG(salary) 
FROM employees
GROUP BY position
HAVING AVG(salary) > 60000;

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10. Table Joins

Inner Join

SELECT employees.name, departments.department_name
FROM employees
INNER JOIN departments
ON employees.department_id = departments.id;

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Left Join

SELECT employees.name, departments.department_name
FROM employees
LEFT JOIN departments
ON employees.department_id = departments.id;

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Right Join

SELECT employees.name, departments.department_name
FROM employees
RIGHT JOIN departments
ON employees.department_id = departments.id;

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Full Outer Join

SELECT employees.name, departments.department_name
FROM employees
FULL OUTER JOIN departments
ON employees.department_id = departments.id;

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11. Subqueries

Subquery in WHERE Clause

SELECT name, salary
FROM employees
WHERE salary > (SELECT AVG(salary) FROM employees);

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Subquery in SELECT

SELECT name,
       (SELECT AVG(salary) FROM employees) AS average_salary
FROM employees;

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12. Indexing

Create an Index

CREATE INDEX idx_salary ON employees(salary);

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Drop an Index

DROP INDEX idx_salary;

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13. Backup and Restore

Backup a Database

pg_dump my_database > backup.sql

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Restore a Database

psql my_database < backup.sql

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14. Useful Meta-Commands

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Tips for PostgreSQL

• Use transactions to ensure data consistency (BEGIN and COMMIT).
• Backup frequently to avoid data loss.
• Indexes improve query performance for large datasets.
• Always test queries in a safe environment before applying to production.